The Journal - Jon Olsonhttp://www.journalmpls.com/tag-topics/jon-olson
enFinal design of Water Works complete; fundraising nexthttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/final-design-of-water-works-complete-fundraising-next
<div class="field field-name-field-image-collection field-type-field-collection field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">
<div id="field-slideshow-1-wrapper" class="field-slideshow-wrapper">
<div class="field-slideshow field-slideshow-1 effect-fade timeout-0 with-pager with-controls" style="width:630px; height:470px">
<div class="field-slideshow-slide field-slideshow-slide-1 even first">
<div class="field-slideshow-wrapper-image">
<img class="field-slideshow-image field-slideshow-image-1" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.journalmpls.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/articles/11/03/2014/waterworksaerial.png" width="630" height="470" alt="" /> <div class="field-slideshow-captionbox">
<div class="field-slideshow-caption">
<span class="field-slideshow-caption-text">An aerial view of Water Works</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field-slideshow-creditbox">
<span class="field-slideshow-credit-text">SCAPE</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field-slideshow-slide field-slideshow-slide-2 odd" style="display:none;">
<div class="field-slideshow-wrapper-image">
<img class="field-slideshow-image field-slideshow-image-2" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.journalmpls.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/articles/11/03/2014/waterworkswinter_0.png" width="630" height="470" alt="" /> <div class="field-slideshow-captionbox">
<div class="field-slideshow-caption">
<span class="field-slideshow-caption-text">A winter illustration of Water Works</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field-slideshow-creditbox">
<span class="field-slideshow-credit-text">SCAPE</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field-slideshow-slide field-slideshow-slide-3 even last" style="display:none;">
<div class="field-slideshow-wrapper-image">
<img class="field-slideshow-image field-slideshow-image-3" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.journalmpls.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/articles/11/03/2014/waterworkssummer.png" width="630" height="470" alt="" /> <div class="field-slideshow-captionbox">
<div class="field-slideshow-caption">
<span class="field-slideshow-caption-text">A summer illustration of Water Works</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field-slideshow-creditbox">
<span class="field-slideshow-credit-text">SCAPE</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!--<div id="field-slideshow-1-controls" class="field-slideshow-controls">
<div id="field-slideshow-controls-container">
<a href="#" class="field-slideshow-controls-previous">Prev</a>
<a href="#" class="field-slideshow-controls-next">Next</a>
</div>
</div>-->
<div id="field-slideshow-1-controls" class="field-slideshow-controls">
<a href="#" class="prev field-slideshow-controls-prev"> </a>
<a href="#" class="next field-slideshow-controls-next"> </a>
</div>
<div id="field-slideshow-1-carousel-wrapper" class="field-slideshow-carousel-wrapper">
<a href="#" class="carousel-prev field-slideshow-carousel-previous"> </a>
<div id="field-slideshow-1-carousel" class="field-slideshow-carousel">
<div class="item-list"><ul id="field-slideshow-1-pager" class="field-slideshow-pager slides-3"><li class="first"><a href="#"><img class="field-slideshow-thumbnail field-slideshow-thumbnail-1" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.journalmpls.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/images/articles/11/03/2014/waterworksaerial.png" width="100" height="59" alt="" /></a></li>
<li><a href="#"><img class="field-slideshow-thumbnail field-slideshow-thumbnail-2" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.journalmpls.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/images/articles/11/03/2014/waterworkswinter_0.png" width="100" height="65" alt="" /></a></li>
<li class="last"><a href="#"><img class="field-slideshow-thumbnail field-slideshow-thumbnail-3" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.journalmpls.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/images/articles/11/03/2014/waterworkssummer.png" width="100" height="65" alt="" /></a></li>
</ul></div>
</div>
<a href="#" class="carousel-next field-slideshow-carousel-next"> </a>
</div>
</div>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ben Johnson</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>The final schematic design for Water Works park is complete, and for an estimated $23.8 million it details a truly impressive transformation of a prime, roughly four-block stretch of downtown riverfront.</p>
<p>When completed, Minneapolis will have a new, three-story park building with concessions, restrooms, a patio overlooking the river and kayak rentals. The tangle of highly-trafficked bike and pedestrian trails will be smoothed out, the old Fuji-Ya building demolished to reveal old mill ruins and pockets of native flowers planted on a gentle slope rolling down to the Mississippi River. </p>
<p>That slope will hold an amphitheater, and nearby “rooms” full of recreational opportunities (ping pong, bocce ball, shuffleboard, an open lawn, basketball or volleyball courts were all presented as possibilities) and unearthed ruins from the old Columbia and Cataract Mills will be open to the public.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/resize/images/articles/11/03/2014/waterworksamphitheater-402x255.png" alt="" width="402" height="255" class="inline_image" /></p>
<p>The Park Board spent months on community engagement and the Minneapolis Parks Foundation (MPF) ponied up hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay a trio of New York City-based design firms to create the plan. Now comes the hard part: finding the money to actually build it.</p>
<p>“First let me say it’s an absolutely amazing plan; it’s absolutely beautiful,” said District 2 Commissioner Jon Olson at the Oct. 22 board meeting where the design was first presented. “But I do have some concerns about the price tag, and where that money is going to come from. We have a lot of projects that are already being pushed back because of our own constraints, and we have opportunities that are arising further up on the river to purchase and develop,” he added, mentioning the Park Board’s expected involvement in redeveloping part of the Upper Harbor Terminal when it closes next year.</p>
<p>Olson, who represent North Minneapolis, went on to warn against spending more money on parks in areas populated by the wealthy.</p>
<p>“I just fear that if we get too heavy in one area – and it seems like this is being pushed by interests and people with money – and other parts of the city are not being pushed and built and dreamed upon then there’s going to be some blowback,” he said.</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/11/03/2014/waterworksparkbuilding.png" alt="" width="640" height="277" class="inline_image" /></p>
<p><em>A rendering of the new three-story park building near the Third Avenue Bridge</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/parks/minneapolis-parks-foundation-names-new-executive-director">Newly-hired</a> MPF Executive Director Tom Evers said Water Works will likely be developed in two phases. Phase one focuses on improvements around West River Road, the bike and pedestrian paths and the park building near First Street South and the Third Avenue Bridge. Those projects cost an estimated $14.5 million and Evers said he hopes work will begin in 2016 or 2017.</p>
<p>The second phase costs an estimated $9.3 million and focuses on improvements from West River Road down to the river. Evers acknowledged the park’s hefty cost is unlikely to be paid for by the cash-strapped Park Board.</p>
<p>“We’re here to help generate that funding and there is interest from both the corporate sector and the private sector,” he told commissioners at the Oct. 22 board meeting.</p>
<p>At-large Commissioner Annie Young raised concerns about a lack of parking, an uncharacteristic complaint coming from an organization that has aggressively advocated for and built bike infrastructure.</p>
<p>“What about the disabled and handicapped that can’t walk down there? I didn’t see any inkling, anywhere, where you’re putting any parking,” said Young, who has limited mobility due to ongoing health issues.</p>
<p>“I would have a real hard time getting down there, personally,” she added.</p>
<p>Evers said the parking currently next to the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam will still be available, and MPF is working on a shared parking arrangement with the owners of the neighboring <a href="http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/mill-city-quarter-development-heading-toward-city-approval">Mill City Quarter project</a>.</p>
<p>Mill City Quarter will feature a woonerf – a heavily landscaped street that gives priority to bikes and pedestrians over cars – that will connect to Water Works.</p>
</div></div></div>Mon, 03 Nov 2014 17:55:10 +0000Ben Johnson23928 at http://www.journalmpls.comhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/final-design-of-water-works-complete-fundraising-next#commentsPark Board to consider full smoking banhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/park-board-to-consider-full-smoking-ban
<div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ben Johnson</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/05/15/2014/erwin.jpg" alt="" width="175" height="263" class="inline_image" />Smoking and tobacco use in Minneapolis parks may be completely banned by the end of summer.</p>
<p>At-large Park Board Commissioner John Erwin and District 2 Commissioner Jon Olson are planning to introduce an ordinance completely banning all tobacco use and smoking – applicable to e-cigarettes and marijuana, if it is legalized in the future – from Minneapolis parks at the June 4 Park Board meeting.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.minneapolisparks.org/documents/about/Tobacco_Use.pdf">The Park Board’s current policy,</a> passed in 2010, bans smoking or any tobacco use within 100 feet of any Park Board building, playground, beach or wading pool, and within 50 feet of any youth athletic field or contest.</p>
<p>A complete ban is already in place at all of the Park Board’s gardens (Sculpture Garden, Rose Garden, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, etc), the Lake Harriet Bandstand and Wirth Recreation Area.</p>
<p>Erwin said offenders will probably be ticketed with a $50 fine, although that will be up for debate among the other commissioners when the ordinance is introduced. Erwin also favors a one-year grace period, where offenders would be issued a warning instead of a fine during the ban’s first calendar year.</p>
<p>The smoking ban ordinance should be enacted by Labor Day unless it faces unexpected resistance making its way through the Park Board approval process.</p>
</div></div></div>Thu, 15 May 2014 20:35:59 +0000Ben Johnson22934 at http://www.journalmpls.comhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/park-board-to-consider-full-smoking-ban#commentsPark Board finding tax exemption more trouble than it's worthhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/park-board-finding-tax-exemption-more-trouble-than-its-worth
<div class="field field-name-field-image-collection field-type-field-collection field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">
<div id="field-slideshow-3-wrapper" class="field-slideshow-wrapper">
<div class="field-slideshow field-slideshow-3 effect-fade timeout-0 with-pager with-controls" style="width:630px; height:470px">
<div class="field-slideshow-slide field-slideshow-slide-1 even first">
<div class="field-slideshow-wrapper-image">
<img class="field-slideshow-image field-slideshow-image-1" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.journalmpls.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/articles/01/28/2014/powderhornpark.jpg" width="630" height="470" alt="" /> <div class="field-slideshow-captionbox">
<div class="field-slideshow-caption">
<span class="field-slideshow-caption-text">Powderhorn Park</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field-slideshow-creditbox">
<span class="field-slideshow-credit-text">Fibonacci Blue on Flickr</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ben Johnson</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Administrative burdens have diminished the benefit of the local government sales tax exemption, but would repealing clauses meant to protect private businesses be fair?</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>A seemingly simple new law that exempts local governments across Minnesota (including the Park Board) from paying sales tax on most purchases has been deemed largely ineffective due to the unforeseen administrative challenges it has created.</p>
<p>The law was designed to help keep local taxes down by eliminating a strange circular funding mechanism in which governmental entities are required to pay taxes on projects that are funded by taxes. Prior to 1992 local governments didn’t have to pay sales tax on most purchases, but that year the Legislature chose to extend taxes to help shore up a state budget crisis.</p>
<p>Thought to be a temporary fix, the policy was finally repealed last year and it went into effect Jan. 1. To prevent government programs and facilities from having an unfair advantage over private sector competitors, a provision was included that requires local governments to still have to pay taxes on “goods or services generally provided by a private business.”</p>
<p>This provision has become an administrative nightmare for the Park Board, because every space it owns provides a mix services, some of which are provided by local businesses and some that are not.</p>
<p>Take Powderhorn Park, for example. Goods or services purchased for the picnic area, walking path, drinking fountain or bathrooms would be exempt from sales taxes, but anything bought for its playing fields, bandstand, wading pool or basketball court is still taxable.</p>
<p>“If we purchase grass seed and we use it all around Powderhorn Park, a part of that invoice is going to be taxable and a part is going to be non-taxable, and the provision says we have to develop some sort of prorated process to qualify for the sales tax exemption,” said Juli Wiseman, finance director for the Park Board.</p>
<p>Another burdensome requirement of the sales tax exemption is that when a city hires a contractor to perform construction work, the labor and the construction materials must be split into two separate bids. Then, instead of buying materials itself, the contractor acts as a purchasing agent on behalf of the city, leaving the city liable for any defective or damaged material.</p>
<p>“As we all know with construction contracts, there is a lot of responsibility that remains with the contractor when you bid that project together. The benefit of the sales tax exemption is not great enough to justify taking on that much extra liability,” said Wiseman, who said until that provision is repealed the Park Board will continue to pay sales tax on materials purchased for construction projects.</p>
<p>The Park Board anticipated $300,000 in savings this year from the sales tax exemption, but due to those provisions that figure has been lowered to $125,000. According to the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC), the state projected it would lose $429 million annually in sales tax revenue due to the exemption, but early estimates place that number between $50 million and $55 million.</p>
<p>The Park Board is supporting an initiative sponsored by the LMC to get the burdensome provisions repealed this legislative session. Repealing them would ultimately let the law achieve what it was intended to achieve — lower expenses for local governments resulting in lower municipal and county tax rates. But what about the private businesses the provisions were created to protect?</p>
<p><img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/01/28/2014/olson.jpg" alt="District 2 Commissioner Jon Olson" width="175" height="263" class="inline_image" /> “It does create a slight advantage for a governmental entity,” said Park Board Commissioner Jon Olson, who owns and operates a small business and chairs the Park Board’s Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. “Personally does it bother me? No, not really.”</p>
<p>Gary Carlson, LMC’s Intergovernmental Relations Director, says a repeal could be justified because local governments often provides services and facilities for free or at a much lower rate than a private business. He used a municipal swimming pool as an example.</p>
<p>“There’s a gray area. Yeah you’re competing with the private sector by offering a swimming pool, but if you’re doing it in such a way as to allow people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to use a pool, does it make sense that we’re applying sales tax toward the purchase of chlorine for that pool?”</p>
<p>This summer the Park Board plans to open a brand-new pool at Webber Park in north Minneapolis. The pool, featuring a 4,500-square-foot wading area, five lap swim lanes, and a 13-foot deep diving area, will be free to the public.</p>
<p>Carlson says he’s been contacted by a number of state legislators interested in tweaking provisions in the sales tax exemption, but has not found someone to author those changes at this point. The LMC is lobbying for an outright repeal, but Carlson said he would be willing to entertain a more nuanced compromise.</p>
<p>“We’re certainly willing to discuss alternatives to an outright appeal, but members of the LMC have established a policy to ultimately simplify this, so that when cities make purchases they are exempt because they’re doing it for a public purpose,” he said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben Johnson // 612-436-5088</p>
<p><a href="mailto:%20bjohnson@mnpubs.com">bjohnson@mnpubs.com</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/johnsonbend">@johnsonbend</a></p>
</div></div></div>Tue, 28 Jan 2014 17:32:00 +0000Ben Johnson22293 at http://www.journalmpls.comhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/park-board-finding-tax-exemption-more-trouble-than-its-worth#commentsIncumbents dominate Park Board electionshttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/incumbents-dominate-park-board-elections
<div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ben Johnson</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Incumbents dominated the 2013 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board election.</p>
<p>In districts 1-6, every commissioner that decided to run for re-election won. John Erwin and Annie Young, the two at-large incumbents running, were the top vote-getters out of all at-large candidates and are likely to be re-elected. Bob Fine, the third incumbent at-large Park Board commissioner, decided to run for mayor instead of going for another term on the Park Board. Fine ended up being a non-factor in the mayoral race, placing seventh in first-place votes.</p>
<p>Carol Kummer (District 5) was the only other commissioner that chose not to run for re-election. She will be replaced by Steffanie Musich, who ran unopposed.</p>
<p>A candidate has to attain one vote more than 25 percent of the total vote to win an at-large seat under ranked-choice voting. During the first round of tabulations Erwin came just short of doing that, garnering 24.74 percent of all first-choice votes. Young placed second with 15.66 percent of first-choice votes, and led all at-large candidates in both second and third-choice votes. The third at-large seat will be hotly contested between Tom Nordyke, Meg Forney and Jason Stone.</p>
<p>Forney was third in first-place votes, garnering 13.23 percent. She narrowly lost in the last two Park Board elections, losing an at-large Park Board bid in 2005 by 1,502 votes and a 6th District bid in 2009 by 794 votes. Forney has 12.2 percent of second place votes and 13.53 percent of third-place votes.</p>
<p>Nordyke was fourth in first-place votes with 10.97 percent. He has more second-choice votes than Forney at 14.82 percent, but less third-choice votes at 9.7 percent. Nordyke was endorsed by the DFL along with Erwin and previously served on the Park Board from 2005-2009 before losing a re-election bid.</p>
<p>Jason Stone was fifth in first-place votes with 9.02 percent, but has 11.09 percent of the second-choice votes and 15.93 percent of the third-choice votes. Like Forney, he narrowly lost previous Park Board bids. Running in District 5 against Kummer he lost by 300 and 349 votes in 2005 and 2009, respectively.</p>
<p>Liz Wielinski ran unopposed to earn her second term representing District 1 (Northeast). Jon Olson easily defeated challenger David Luce in District 2 (north Minneapolis), as did Scott Vreeland in District 3 (Phillips/Powderhorn/Longfellow) over Said Maye, Anita Tabb in District 4 (Calhoun-Isles) over Bobby Davis, and Brad Bourn in District 6 (southwest Minneapolis) over Josh Neiman.</p>
<p>Ranked-choice voting with multiple winners is quite complicated. Here is a video by MPR explaining how it works:</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-video field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lNxwMdI8OWw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></div>Wed, 06 Nov 2013 06:46:45 +0000Ben Johnson21861 at http://www.journalmpls.comhttp://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/incumbents-dominate-park-board-elections#comments